SpaceX test fires returned Falcon 9 booster at McGregor

A returned Falcon 9 first stage has been test fired at SpaceX’s McGregor test center, in what is the start of a series of firings. As of late August, several firings have taken place. F9-S1-0024 returned home after helping push JCSAT-14 uphill earlier this year, prior to landing on the ASDS located in the Atlantic Ocean. Although this stage isn’t expected to fly again, it is involved in critical ground testing, which will pave the way for the first relaunch of a Falcon 9 booster.F9-S1-0024:

The stage was seen parked with its security escort on March 8, ahead of completing the remaining 175-mile journey to the test site.

Although the company doesn’t publish information as to when hardware is being trucked around the country, earlier stages have been spotted – usually by one of SpaceX’s legion of fans – during their transit from California to Texas and Texas to Florida on numerous occasions.

The JCSAT-14 stage was then photographed on the test stand at McGregor (via L2 McGregor).

It underwent numerous tests, highlighted by the full-duration static fire of its nine Merlin 1D engines.

The stage was then removed from the stand and prepared for a road trip to Cape Canaveral, ready the business end of its flow towards the launch of the huge JCSAT-14 satellite.

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The launch was successful, with the primary mission of sending JCSAT-14 into it required geosynchronous transfer orbit achieved without issue.

However, it was the return of the first stage that once again captured the imagination, this time pushing what is still very much a test program via a three engine landing burn, designed to help the stage cope with the return during the higher velocity and higher altitude than other missions – such as CRS missions – thus performing what is termed as a “hot entry” return to the ASDS.

During an April news conference, SpaceX’s Elon Musk described the JCSAT-14 landing as “tough” considering the stage will be “coming in hot.”

However, it proved to be successful, as patchy webcam coverage from the drone ship saw the stage start to light up the deck, before suddenly showing the stage sat in the middle of the “X” – marking another major milestone for SpaceX.

The JCSAT-14 stage isn’t expected to fly again due to the initial evaluations into damage received via its high-velocity return. However, it will still provide useful test data.

“Most recent rocket took max damage, due to very high entry velocity,” noted Elon Musk. “Will be our life leader for ground tests to confirm others are good.”

That testing on the JCSAT-14 booster began on Thursday (photo left of the test), with the stage placed on the test stand at McGregor – ironically after the stand was vacated by the JCSAT-16 first stage – which recently completed testing and has since been shipped to Florida for its launch next month.

The returned stage is also sported a new cap, which may be providing some simulated weight to aid the required data gathering during the test firing.

That booster has since been transported to the 39A HIF, this time atop of the Orbiter Transporter System that has been repurposed from transporting Shuttle orbiters into transporting Falcon 9 first stages.

Initial evaluations show the CRS-9 first stage to be in great shape, raising hopes it will be involved with a re-flight.